After the Tragedy
by mybluebudds
Summary: One of my first stories. Magnolia just lost her parents by owls. Injured and orphaned, her future looks bleak. However, she has an aunt, and she's an elder. Can Bathsheba raise a her niece? And can Magnolia live with her mean, old aunt? O.C's included and please be easy on me, this is my first story.
1. Hidden Tears

Night was slowly turning to day as the Silverwings hung around Tree Haven. The hole tree was filled with anxiety and uneasiness. Two of their own had been found dead-No not just dead. They were murdered somehow. But the nightmare doesn't end there, those bats had a daughter who was also attacked. Magnolia was her name, she was just starting to talk and yet, there was a chance she may not last the night. Magnolia's injuries were deep, so deep she was almost cut completely open and she had lost a lot of blood. Her injuries were serious and she was very week, the hole colony was concern for her. Magnolia however didn't lose her whole family. Bathsheba was Magnolia's mother's sister and her aunt. Bathsheba was one of the bats who went looking for her sister and brother-in-law and was just as horrified at their remains as the others were.

Even though all the Silverwings were in a state of shock, terror and sympathy, just as always Bathsheba didn't even shed a tear. Not for her sister or brother-in-law. However, when everyone was roosting and sleeping the day away, she quietly flew into Magnolia's heeling chamber. The little girl's injuries were so severe she couldn't even roost. If she did, she would bleed even more then she already has. There she was on the ground, cuddled into bird feathers. Healing herbs pressed against her chest and stomach. Magnolia was pale, her eyes had tiny dark circles underneath and her breathing was slow and steady but they sounded almost like a silent moan. Bathsheba watched her sleep. She had never really seen the tiny child as her niece, she treated her the same way she treated everyone else-cruel. Surprisingly, she was like that with Flowerdawn, her sister and Flowerdawn's mate Raincloud. But now they were dead and this girl, this little girl, was the only one who survived. Though she would never admit it, Bathsheba had always felt love for her sister the same way every big sister feels towards their younger sister. "Why didn't I try to save her?" She asked herself. But she knew she couldn't have possibly been able to save Flowerdawn, if she had tried to save her and Raincloud, she would have been killed with them.

Suddenly, Magnolia moved slowly and opened her eyes. Her eyes were almost like glass. She saw Bathsheba and reached up. "Baba.." She whispered in a voice so low it was almost lower then a whisper. Baba was what Magnolia called Bathsheba, she was too little to say her name right. Bathsheba almost jumped she realized Magnolia was awake. "Sh...Go back to sleep." She whispered. But Magnolia refused to sleep, she had one of Bathsheba's long bangs in her hand. "Stay." She whispered back. "Oh bats!" Bathsheba thought to herself. "Are you asking me to sleep with you?" the elder asked in an annoyed whisper. Again, Magnolia was unfazed by her aunts tone. "Pwease?" she asked again, her tiny, painful voice was starting to sound like a whine. Finally, Bathsheba gave in and laid down next to Magnolia. She would have roosted but then it would have been harder to sleep with the child. To her surprise, Magnolia moved closer to her. In seconds, she was clinging on the elder as if for dear life. Bathsheba found herself blushing a little, no one had ever cuddled up to her before so it felt a little weird. Magnolia sniffled and rested her head on Bathsheba's chest. "Mommy gone, Daddy gone." She whispered in a sad voice. Bathsheba sighed, Magnolia's words for some reason, almost made her tear up. Flowerdawn is gone and so is Raincloud. Gone forever. "I know..I miss them too." Bathsheba wasn't so sure why she had said that. Maybe because Magnolia was the only bat who was a family member to her. Or maybe somewhere deep down, she truly did morn her sister's death.

With a sniffle, Magnolia finally fell asleep. She had silently cried herself to sleep. Bathsheba didn't pull away, she knew that if she even tried to leave, Magnolia will wake up and cry out for her. As she laid there, she wondered why Magnolia had asked her to sleep with her. Was it because she lost her parents? Or was it because she was scared and wanted someone to comfort her? Maybe it was both. Either way, the minute Magnolia was asleep, the elder felt something wet and warm running down her face. She knew what they were. They were tears. _Her_ tears. Usually, Bathsheba would never show emotion but this time no matter how hard she tried to fight them, she couldn't stop the tiny waterfalls of tears from running down. She laid her head down and forced herself to sleep, that seemed to be the only way to stop the tears. For the first time in many, many years, Bathsheba had cried. Cried for her sister, her brother-in-law and her niece.


	2. Are you ever scared?

Days passed since the attack and things were starting to calm down. Magnolia was healing, the bleeding had stopped, her injuries had closed and she was at least strong enough to walk. She was still sore however and she had trouble eating and breathing and her voice was still low. Frieda and everyone else in the colony had a good idea why Magnolia was having problems. The owl who attacked her had injured her deep enough to hurt her stomach, lungs and vocal cords. She'll never eat, breath or speak the same way again. While Magnolia struggled with her disabilities, news of the attack hit the forest. Soon, the news reached the ears of General Brutus. Of course Brutus was shocked to hear about the attack, he took two of his men and flew over to Tree Haven. He wanted to interview Magnolia about the attack. (He wanted to do it for two reasons: The first one was because he disliked killers in his forest. The second one was because he was the one who bothered the bats and he didn't like it when someone else did his job) There was only three bats waiting for them. Frieda, Bathsheba and Magnolia. Frieda wanted Bathsheba to be there because she knew Magnolia would be scared and she didn't want the little girl to see Brutus without a relative next to her. This was a smart idea, as the little girl was clinging to Bathsheba and was shaking.

"She needs to tell me what happened, why won't you let me interview her?" The owl general demanded. Frieda shook her head. "She's just a child Brutus, and a child her age should never have to go through what she went through." She said. Her ancient eyes had a worried look. Brutus frowned. "She's also the only witness to the attack. If I don't get answers from her, her parents killers will never be brought to justice." He said. Frieda sighed. "Be fair Brutus, her parents killers were owls. She's probably traumatized by the attack." She said. "Is that why she's hiding?" One of Brutus's men asked. Frieda and Brutus both glanced at Magnolia. By now, the little silverwing hybrid was hiding behind Bathsheba. Refusing to even look at the three owls. "Yes. She's very scared of this hole thing." Frieda said, turning back to Brutus. Seeing how the chief elder wasn't going to let the interview take place, Brutus thought of something else. "Very well. Did the injuries leave any scars on her?" He asked. "Yes, her chest, stomach and her neck were injured. Their healing but their still very visible." Frieda explained. "If I compare my claws and my men here compare their claws with her injuries, perhaps an identification can be made as to what type of owls are responsible." Brutus suggested. Hearing Brutus's idea, Bathsheba glanced down at Magnolia. Dark circles were still under her eyes and she had been having nightmares. The type of nightmares that you'd wake up screaming. All this time, Bathsheba had to sleep with her. Magnolia wouldn't sleep without her aunt next to her, she needed some type of protection from the nightmares that haunted her when she was awake. Try as she might, Bathsheba couldn't hide her sympathy for her niece. Magnolia was suffering from what had happened and it was hard to deny that Bathsheba felt the same way to some extent. When Magnolia's parents died, she lost something too. She lost her sister and brother-in-law, so she felt the same emotional pain Magnolia was suffering from. Finally Frieda sighed. "Alright. We'll do this." She said. She looked at Bathsheba. "Bring her over here, Bathsheba." She said. Bathsheba obeyed, what more could she do? "Come on Maggie." She told Magnolia. Magnolia followed but she did not come out of hiding. Frieda bent down to her. "Maggie dear, can you let Brutus see your chest and stomach?" She asked the little girl. Magnolia looked at Brutus and his owls. They stared back. Brutus had never seen a bat like her before. Her fur was as white as snow and her other fur colors were light and dark shades of blue. She was young, she was about the age a bat would start learning how to talk. Thats how young she was. She looked scared too, no wonder Frieda was hesitant about this interview. Magnolia looked up at Bathsheba with a worried look on her face. "Baba.." She said, her voice was hardly a whisper. "I won't let them hurt you, I promise." Bathsheba said, it was the only way she could calm her down.

Holding Bathsheba's hand tightly in one hand and Frieda's hand in the other, Magnolia let Brutus look at her scratches. Careful not to hurt or scare her, Brutus and his two men compared their claws with the cuts on Magnolia's chest and stomach. As they did this, Brutus couldn't help but understand why Frieda was so concerned. These injuries were deep, deep enough to cause series life long problems. Who ever did this, must be punished. "These owls weren't any of my army, they most likely would have been owls from outside of the forest. Newcomers or visitors." Brutus said. Frieda sent Bathsheba to take Magnolia back to her healing chamber, she could tell Magnolia was tired and scared. When they were in the chamber, Bathsheba laid Magnolia down on the feathered bed, the little bat still couldn't roost. Every time she did she would feel intense pain in her stomach. She also could only eat half a moth, if she ate it hole she would throw up. It was hard for her to live like this and it was equally hard for Bathsheba and the other silverwings to watch her live like this. Suddenly, Magnolia looked up at Bathsheba. "Baba...Are..Are..Are you ever scared?" She asked. For a minute, Bathsheba wasn't so sure if she had heard her right. Magnolia. Little Magnolia. Had just said her first sentence. _Are you ever scared?_ If only her parents were here, they'd be so proud of her. "..Sometimes, I don't like showing it though." She answered her. Magnolia looked confused. "Why?" She squeaked. Why was she asking these questions? "..I want to be strong..Its easier for me to be strong then it is to be scared." Bathsheba answered again. She had never said those words to anyone. Not even to Frieda. To her surprise, Magnolia weakly snuggled up to her. "I'm...Not Strong..I'm scared." She said. Bathsheba held her closer, gently though she didn't want to hurt her. "Maggie, look at me." She said. Magnolia looked up, her scared greenish yellow eyes gazing back at the elder's yellow eyes. "Its ok to be scared, even if your scared your still strong. Never forget that, Maggie, You are strong. You just don't know it." She said. Even Bathsheba was surprised she had said that, she had never said anything like that to anyone before. So why was she saying this to Magnolia?

Magnolia just rested her head on Bathsheba's chest. "Never forget that.." She repeated as she fell asleep. "Oh Magnolia, your breaking my heart." Bathsheba thought to herself as she stroked Magnolia's head. What was happening to her? Why was she acting like this? This is completely insane! "I never heard you talk like that before, Bathsheba." Came a voice. Bathsheba turned her head, Frieda stood there. A look of surprise on her face. Bathsheba narrowed her eyes. "You saw all that didn't you?" She whispered in an annoyed whisper. "Yes. Why aren't you like that all the time?" She whispered back. Bathsheba rolled her eyes. "Gee I don't know, maybe its because I'm not the _"wise"_ one around here." She whispered sarcastically. Frieda narrowed her eyes. "Very funny." She whispered back."What do you want anyway?" Bathsheba asked. Frieda sighed. "I want you to raise Magnolia." She said. "What? Me?" Bathsheba was shocked at this. "Your her aunt, and the only relative she has left she needs you...And I think you need her too." Frieda explained. Bathsheba glanced down at the little girl who was still cuddled on her chest. Frieda was right, Magnolia was pretty much an orphan now. Flowerdawn didn't have any other relatives besides Bathsheba, they were all dead and very little was known of Raincloud's snowwing family. If he had any family at all, they might not take Magnolia in, snowwings were known for being untrusting to other bat colonies so chances are they wont accept Magnolia because of her being half silverwing and half snowwing. Bathsheba sighed. "Ok, Fine…I'll raise her, but only because she's family." She said. Later, as she was roosting and getting ready to sleep. Frieda glanced all around her. At Ariel and a few other pregnant female bats, at some young silverwings sleeping with their mothers, at the other elders and then at the healing chamber where Bathsheba and Magnolia were. She smiled. "Bathsheba does have a heart..She just doesn't show it." She told herself as she closed her eyes and fell asleep. Knowing that weather the owls are ever arrested or not, and no matter what challenges lie ahead for her, little Maggie won't have to face them alone. She has her aunt to stand by her through it all.


	3. Painful, fearful, buried love END

"Brutus said he'll send one of his owls, Atlas, to watch over us for a few weeks. He'll have the rest of his troops patrolling the area." Frieda's voice sounded blurry, as if she were far away. It wasn't just Frieda that sounded blurry, the voices of all the other elders sounded just as blurry. Once again, Bathsheba reached up and touched her head. Looking down at the ground and rubbing her forehead. Her head felt weird, like it was filled with water. She felt like this all day. The pain starting out stiffly, then slowly growing into a headache. She also felt fatigue, something she felt in the past but hid from everyone around her. "Strange. We'v been at this meeting for half an hour and Bathsheba hadn't said one thing the hole time." Said one elder, taking Bathsheba out of her thoughts. "..I just..Don't have anything to say.." She said, still rubbing her head. "Thats the first." Said one elder. Frieda noticed she was rubbing her head. "Bathsheba, are you feeling ok?" She asked the shorter elder. "I'm fine." Bathsheba said coldly. Usually she'd, say something mean to Frieda, but this time she just didn't have the energy to. One elder placed her hand on Bathsheba's forehead. "Your warm." Bathsheba jerked away. "So? Theres nothing wrong in being warm." She snapped. "Bathsheba-" The elder tried again but Bathsheba won't listen. "I'v had enough. I'm getting out of here." With that, She flew out of the meeting chamber.

"Whats her problem?" The elder from earlier spoke. "I don't know, this isn't like her." Said the other. "I'll talk to her, the rest of you wait here." Said Frieda. She then flew after the shorter bat. She caught up to her in seconds. "Bathsheba, whats wrong?" She asked. "Nothing!" Bathsheba snapped. Cant Frieda just leave her alone? "Don't lie to me Bathsheba, somethings bothering you." She said. "How would you know?!" Bathsheba tried not to show it, but her headache was really starting to hurt now. Frieda almost snorted. "You didn't say anything mean all night." Even she noticed that. Bathsheba landed on the ground and crossed her arms. "Like I said, I have nothing to say." She started rubbing her head again. Frieda suddenly realized something. She landed next to her. "I think I know whats going on. Your in grieving." She said. Bathsheba frowned. "What?" Frieda gave her a thoughtful look. "Your sister and brother-in-law died, grieving is a completely normal thing when something like that happens." She explained. Bathsheba just snarled at her. "Well I hate it!-Ohh" Her headache was hurting again. Frieda looked worried. If Bathsheba was in grieving, then she was probably around the first stage of it: Denial and Isolation. "Just calm down." She laid her hand on Bathsheba's shoulder. "You should take a break. Some rest will do you good." She said. Although Bathsheba scowled at her, she knew Frieda was right. She broke away from the leader's gentle hand. "Whatever, Frieda." She grumbled as she flew over to the healing chamber. Even though she didn't want to admit it to herself, she knew exactly what she needed: Sleep. But for some reason, Bathsheba felt like she needed to be with Magnolia. She didn't know why, only that she needed to. Maybe it was because that small child was the only relative she had left. Or maybe it was instinct.

Inside the chamber, Magnolia was sleeping. She had been sleeping the hole time Mercury had been watching over her. Too easy, all he had to do was roost and watch her sleep. Watching the entrance every once in a while. Even though Mercury was the elder's scout, he had never babysat a child before. Mostly because there was never a child to babysit in the elders roost before. Magnolia had to have been the first newborn to ever be in the elders roost and not in the nursery, like all the other children are. It was the sound of wing beats that got his attention. Careful not to wake her, Mercury got off his roost and stepped out of the chamber. To his surprise, Bathsheba landed just feet away from him. "Short meeting?" He asked in a whisper. "In your dreams." She snarled, rubbing her forehead again. Frieda landed behind her. Bathsheba didn't even know she was following her. "She's going to take some time off for a while, Mercury." She explained. Mercury shrugged. "Alright, if thats what she needs." He said. At that moment, a small voice came from the healing chamber. "Baba?" Something changed in Bathsheba's face. She turned her head, looking straight inside the chamber. Frieda and Mercury looked too. Inside, Magnolia was sitting up, rubbing her eye. She was awake. Bathsheba sighed. She glanced at Mercury and Frieda. "I have to go." She then went inside the chamber. Seeing that he wasn't needed anymore, Mercury flew away. Frieda was about to fly away but she suddenly heard Magnolia's small voice again.

"Are you ok, Baba?" She asked. Bathsheba laid down next to the child. "I'm fine..I just need to sleep." She answered. As if she could see the mixed and confusing feelings in her aunts eyes, Magnolia crawled into the elders arms and, to Bathsheba's surprise, kissed her cheek. "Going to be ok, Baba." She said as she cuddled into her arms. For a moment, Bathsheba didn't know what to say. She never cared much for Magnolia before, she never liked her that much, was never really nice to her. She snapped at her once, when she accidentally stepped on her foot. So why was it that Magnolia was being so nice to her? Bathsheba always thought of her niece as needy, annoying, loud, foolish and a little stupid. But now, that little girl seemed to sense what Bathsheba was holding back, as if she could understand and in a way, feel her feelings. Touched by Magnolia's comforting words, Bathsheba stroked her head. Running her hand down the little bats black and blue streaked hair. "Yeah..We'll be alright." She said. Frieda quietly smiled at the scene. It was nice to see a new side to Bathsheba, one that only Magnolia could unlock. But it also amazed her that somehow, Magnolia knew her aunt wasn't herself and had told her it'll be ok. As she flew back to meeting, Frieda kept thinking about that. "She's a good girl..She'll grow into a wise, good-hearted bat..Bathsheba is lucky to have her as her niece.." She told herself.

_Later: _

"Baba!" Magnolia gasped when she woke up. Bathsheba groaned. She had been sleeping, and was not happy to be woken up. "What?" She asked in an annoyed voice. Magnolia was unfazed by her tone. To Bathsheba's surprise, the little girl buried her face in her main and just cried. Shaking as if she had seen a ghost. Another nightmare. The annoyed elder felt her arms hug the tiny child. Letting her cry. By now, Bathsheba was getting use to dealing with Magnolia's nightmares, crying and cuddles. It was weird though, having a small child hanging on to her. Wanting to be around her. No one in Tree Haven had ever wanted to be around her that much before. Bathsheba only had one friend in the colony, Harold. A male just her age and one she had known since she was little. But she only saw Harold whenever the females joined the males at Stone Hold, and Harold was the only bat in the hole colony Bathsheba trusted with her feelings. She use to trust Frieda, but that trust has long since died. Bathsheba's own personality and temper didn't do any good either. All it did was scare youngsters, make others avoid her, even her fellow elders didn't really like her that much. Sometimes Bathsheba wondered if anyone gave a darn about her, but then she'd think of Flowerdawn, her younger sister. And of Raincloud, her brother-in-law, and of Harold. They cared, Flowerdawn always flew with her on the migrations, Raincloud was just as protective of her as he was of Flowerdawn and Magnolia, and Harold was always there for her. If he disliked her behavior, he never showed it and he never said anything about it. He just listened. Although Bathsheba would never admit it to herself, she knew she sometimes felt a small cold shiver of loneliness, and Raincloud, Flowerdawn and Harold were the company that made the lonely feeling go away. Now Flowerdawn and Raincloud were gone, and Harold was far from Tree Haven. The only person left was a little girl who was still learning how to speak. Magnolia however, wasn't afraid of her aunt's temper. Everyone in the colony disliked Bathsheba, stayed away from her, youngsters called her a witch, even the elders didn't really like her. So why was Magnolia so attached to her like this? Weird. The hole thing was just weird.

Finally, Magnolia sniffled and relaxed. "Baba..Owls.." She whimpered. Bathsheba felt a sting of anger when she heard that word. Owls. She felt anger towards them, not to Brutus, at the ones who killed her sister and brother-in-law. Personally, she wanted to tear the feathers off those owls. Make them suffer the way they made Flowerdawn and Raincloud and their innocent daughter suffer. But she knew they would kill her, she wouldn't stand a chance against those owls. They would kill her in a second. It won't surprise Bathsheba if the entire colony wanted her dead anyway. That if she died, no one would miss her. Except for Harold and Magnolia, but Harold would be forced to get over it and Magnolia would be placed in foster care. Somehow, the thought of no one caring if she died made her feel..Empty inside..Almost like all feeling had been sucked out of her. Replaced by a cold, lonely shiver. Putting her anger-and lonely shivers aside, she gently rubbed her niece's head. "Shh..Its over now Maggie..Those owls can't hurt you anymore." Her voice. How did her voice get so soft like that? What the heck is happening here!? Magnolia rubbed her eyes and looked up at her aunt, her eyes filled with fear and shining with hope. "Baba..Don't let owls get you." She pleaded. Bathsheba couldn't believe it. Magnolia. The victim of the attack. The only survivor. Was worried about her aunt's safety rather then her own. Sweet kid. "I won't Maggie, those owls aren't going to hurt me or you." She told her.

Comforted by the old female's words, Magnolia once again snuggled in her arms. Burrowing her cheek in Bathsheba's main. She then yawned and closed her eyes. "Love you, Baba.." She said, falling asleep. The second she heard that, Bathsheba silently gasped. No one had ever said that to her before, and if they had it was forgotten or buried in the past. But Magnolia was one of the very bats who Bathsheba disliked and occasionally snapped at, she was the same age many youngsters were when they would be afraid of her and call her a witch. But she_ loved_ her? "She's lying…She doesn't know what she's saying…She doesn't really love me.." But even though she tried to convince herself that Magnolia didn't mean what she had said, Bathsheba still felt tears run down her face. Hot, wet tears. Tears that burned her cheeks as they ran like waterfalls. She carefully hugged the sleeping girl in her arms. Fear filled her. And something else too. A familiar feeling. One she had felt before, many years ago actually. One that brought back a tiny slither of happiness, but with more pain then anything else. A feeling Bathsheba would rather forget then feel. Suddenly Magnolia reminded her of someone else she had once held. One she had cared for with warmth and love. Someone she forced herself to forget. Fear. She felt fear because she had to give up that last person she felt this way for. All that horrid pain she went through because of that. She couldn't handle feeling that pain again. At some point, Bathsheba had decided in her life that the best way to never feel that pain again, is to never love again. To just push away everyone around her. Although it meant making her the unspoken outcast of the colony, it worked. Again, she forced herself to go to sleep. Try as she might, she knew she'll never erase the little girls voice from memory. That it would always be held closely to her heart. Even though she was afraid to voice her own feelings, she knew she'd always feel them now. "..I..I love you too, Maggie.." That thought ran through her mind, but she didn't stop it. She knew it might be the only time she'll ever think that. Magnolia will grow up one day, and when she does she'll realize her aunt is nothing more then a nasty, selfish elder and she'll take back her_ "Love you, Baba"_ saying and replace it with an _"I hate you Aunt Bathsheba!" _Maybe it was better that way. It would be for her own safety. As Bathsheba quietly cried herself to sleep, she promised herself something she never thought she'd promise. No matter how bad her temper gets, no matter how mean she could be, no matter what Magnolia see's in her, Bathsheba** will **protect her. From the same cruelty that had been done to her. And from the owls, if thy ever returned.

**A/N: I admit, I have sympathy for Bathsheba. Theres just something about her thats so mysterious. Its because she's so hated and mysterious that I had to make a few stories about her. Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed this story! Magnolia, Harold, the Snowwings, the bad owls, Flowerdawn and Raincloud are (c) Me Others belong to Silverwing.**


End file.
